Venetian blind



Aug. 4, 1942. J. 1. LEVY 2,292,338

VENETIAN` BLIND Filed June 7, 1940 INVENTOR JACOB I. LEVY mafm ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 44, 1942' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE( VENETIAN BLIND Jacob I. Levy, Scranton, Pa. Application June 7, 1940, Serial No. 339,244

c claim (ci. s-.47)

My invention relates to Venetian blinds, more particularly to Venetian blinds of the removable slat type, and has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character.

Venetian blinds generally comprise a large number of slats suspended from an operating mechanism by means of cords and tapes. The slats are raised, lowered, tilted, and. otherwise held and adjusted by these cords and tapes. In order to be properly controlled and held-by the cords and tapes, the slats are intimately interlaced with and surrounded by the cords and tapes, with the result that a very complex mechanism is had. This is especially true of large' sized Venetian blinds of the type sometimes used in display windows of stores and the like.

Since the slats of Venetian blinds get dirty and not infrequently get broken, it is desirable that the slats be easily removable for cleaning and easily replaceable if broken. Heretofore, most Venetian blinds have been constructed with slats which could not be removed without unthreading the blind, and the few blinds which have been provided with removable slatsl have left much to be desired. Also, there has never been provided an entirely satisfactory replacement s lat for use in replacing broken slats in the conventional type of blind. Therefore in the past it has always been necessary to disassemble and later reassemble the whole blind whenever it became desirable to remove even one slat.

My invention contemplates the provision of an improved type of Venetian blind.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a new and improved slat for Venetian blinds.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a Venetian blind, all the slats of which may quickly and easily be removed or replaced.

Another object of my invention is to provide a type of slat which may be used to replace a broken slat in the conventional type of Venetian blind.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved latch for use with removableblind slats.

In accordance with my invention in one form thereof a suitable Venetian blind is provided with slats having routings one side of which is open except when closed by a hinged latch.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a completely assembled Venetian blind installed in a window and embodyingmy invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section of a portion of i several slats and' tapes, parts being broken awayL to show detailed construction:

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the slats shown in Figure 2, taken through the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the slats shown generally in Figure 1;

Figure 5.1s a sectional view of the slat shown` in Figure 4, taken through the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and vlooking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a development of a latch before the same has been bent forv installing on the slat; and

Figure 'Z is a perspective view of the latch after it has been bent but before it is installed on a slat.

Referring to the drawing, this invention has been shown in one form asfapplied to a Venetian blind of the removable slat type.

In Figure 1 the Venetian blind I!) and the operating mechanism il are shown as being mounted in a window frame 42. Since the operating mechanism. il per se is not a part of my invention, it may be oi any one of the several different types which are well known in the art. Therefore I have chosen to show the operating mechanism Il as being mounted in an enclosing box winch may be made of any suitable material such as steel, wood, etc.

The one type of Venetian blind, which I have chosen to illustrate, consists'of the customary vertical ladder tapes 3, tilting cords It, raising cords l5, and is provided with my special removable slats it. The slats I5 embodying my invention may be of any suitable material such as wood, metal, plastic, etc., and are supported between the two vertical ladder tapes' i3 by means of the horizontal ladder tapes il which are themselves attached to the vertical ladder tapes at at I8. The routing cords I9 pass through the routing slots or holes 2 which are provided in my special slat it. By'reference, principally to Figure 4, it will be noted that my special slats I6 have a front edge 20' and a rear edge 20, and preferably are provided with approximately rectangular routing holes 20 with rounded ends. I have chosen to'show these holes 20 as extending inwardly from one edge of the slat i6 and across approximately seventy-ve per cent of the width of the slat I8. One end of the hole 20 is lclosed lby the material of the slat as at 2 I. The

' other end of the hole 20 is open as at 22 andk without having access to either end of the cord I9. l

I have chosen to provide a means of closing the open end 22 of slot 20 which, in the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have shown -asconsisting of a. pivoted latch clip 23. 'I'he latch 23 may be made from metal or any other suitable material such as a plastic or the like, and if made from metal may be stamped out in a flat piece as shown in Figure 6 and then may be bent along the bend lines 24 until it assumes the folded shape as best illustrated in Figure 7. After the latch 23 is bent into shape it may be slipped onto the slat I6 as best shown in Figure 4. It will be noted from the drawing that my latch 23 consists of two irregularly 'shaped but identical legs folded one on the other so as to form a completely U-shaped latch, which has both portions hinged as at 25.

From the drawing it will be realized that my latch 23 is in reality an especially shaped flat -strip formed into a U-shaped member so that one portion of the latch fits below the slat I6 while the other portion of the latch is arranged to llt over the top of the slat I6. My latch 23 is preferably fastened to slat I6 by means of hinge 25, which may be in the form of an eyelet, a rivet, or any other suitable means. The rivet preferably passes through both the top and bottom pory tions of the latch 23 and\also through a bearing in the slat I6. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have chosen to show my special latch 23 as having several features which by themselves and in combination with the other elements of my invention produce a practical and useful device. hinge 25 provides a means of attaching the latch 23 to the slat I6. This same hinge 25 also provides a bearing means or fulcrum on which the latch 23 is swung from the open to the closed position. As shown at 26, there is provided a cord stop on the latch 23. It will be noted that the cord stop 26 is indented, recessed, or rounded at the point where it spans slot 20 so as to present a regular abutment against which the cord I9 may strike. The hinge or pivot 25 is remote from the rest of latch 23 being located in the two pivot arms 26 which extend rearwardly from the slotted edge 20' and is so positioned that the latch may be fully opened before the end of knee 28 is stopped by slat I6. I have designated the rear end of knee 28 as latch stop 26', also, as shown at 21, I have provided a slat contacting or gripping portion 'which may be called a U-shaped spring clip portion. I-Iingqii grips slat I6 on one side of hole 20, while portion`2s1grips slat I6 on the other side of the same hole Zlt should be noted that the slat gripping portior21 of my latch 23 is arranged so that there is a large area of contact between the two inside wide portions of my latch 23 and the upper and lower surfaces of slat I6. 'Ihis provides one means of holding the latch closed. It will be noted that stop 26 divides clip 23 into a front clip portion 29 and a rear clip portion 30. It should also be noted that the bent portion or knee 28 of my latch 2.3 is fashionedso that the curvature ofthe latch follows' the curvature of the slat. This provides a neat appearance and also assures that the latch 23 will fit snugly against the surfaces of the slat I6.

One point which should be noted about my latch 23 is that I haveV chosen to proportion the parts of the latch sothat the latch will not be opened accidentally. This has been accomplished As previously mentioned, the

cord stop' 26 as short as possible and at the same time by keeping the distance from the hinge 25 to the clamping portion 21 as long as practicable. In other words, there are two forces working on the latch, with the hinge 25 as the fulcrum. One force is the force of the cord I9 bumping against the cord stop 26. The second force is the force of the clamping portion 21 against the surface of the slat I6. The first force tends to open the latch 23, while the second force tends to hold the latch 23 closed. Therefore, by making the lever-arm of the opening force as small as possible and the lever-arm of the holding force as long as possible, there is devised a latch which will remain closed. On the other hand, if it is desirable to open the latch 23 by hand, advantage can be taken of the longer lever-arm by grasping the latch atthe portion farthest from the hinge 25. My U-shaped latch 23, when closed, also acts as a clamping means or vise to keep the slat I6 from bending and thus possibly breaking at its weakest point 2|.

Still another point which should be noted about my Venetian blind is that latch 23 is also held closed by the Venetian blind ladder tape I3 because the tape I3 normally rests against the knee 28 of the latch 23, when the latch is in place as best shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In the operation of this apparatus, if it is desirable to remove a slat I6 from a Venetian blind `III which has been constructed in accordance with my invention, it is simply necessary to get the slat I6 into such a position that the latches 23 Vcan be opened. -This can be accomplished by tilting the slat I6 or by pushing the. ladder tapes I3--I1 to one side. 'I'hen'the latches 23 are opened by turning them on their hinges 25. When this has been accomplished, itbec'omes a fairly simple matter to remove the cords I9 from the routings 20. After the routing cords I9 have been removed from each and every routing 20 of the particular slat I6 which is to be removed, the

latches 2.3 are closed, 'leavingA the cords outside of the routing holes 20, and the slat I6 with the closed latches 23 can be slipped out of the ladder tapes I3-I1.

If it should be desirable to install one of my special slats I6 into a blind I0 from which a slat by keeping the distance from the hinge 25 to the 75 has previously been removed, the process is the reverse of that described above. First the slat I6, with the latches 23 in the closed position, is slid into the proper position so as to rest on the ladder tapes I3I1. After the slat I6 is in position, each latch 23 is opened and each proper routing cord I9 is placed into its respective routing 20. After this, the latches 23 are closed and the slat I6 finally adjusted so as to appear sym- 'metrical with the rest of the blind. It will be noted as shown best in the left-hand portion of Figure 4 that the cord guard 3| assists in guiding the cord I9 into the slot 2D. E

It is evident from the above description of my invention that Venetian blinds and slats manufacturedA in accordance therewith are neat in appearance, inexpensive, simple to construct, easy to operate, and that they inherently have many advantages not found in blinds heretofore generally used.

It is to be .understood that the features herein described and illustrated are for the purpose of showing this particular embodiment of my invention. I contemplate that -changes may be made therein without 'departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and delsire to secure by edge of said slat, a pivot pin for said arm and a bearing in the slat for said pin, said bearing being positioned relative to said routingslot so that said cord will be retained between one side of said slot and the side ofy the recess in said cord stop upon movement of the cord forcing the latch toward the open position.

2. In combination, a removable Venetian blind slat having a front edge and a rear edge, a routing cord slot extending inwardly from one 'of said edges, a routing cord and a pivoted latch clip, said latch clip comprising a U-shaped spring clip portion, an indented cord stop between the ends of said clip portion, said cord stop dividing said clip portion into a rear clip portion and a front clip portion, pivot arms extending rearwardly from said rear clip portion, pivot means pivotally connecting said pivot arms to said slat,

said pivot means being relatively positioned with respect to said pivot arms, cord stop and front clip portion so that the force derived from the pressure of said routing cord against Said latch clip will be mainly in a straight line pull against' said pivot means.

3. In combination, a removable Venetian blind slat having a front edge and a rear edge, a routing slot extending inwardly from one of said edges, a routing cord and a pivoted latch clip, said latch clip comprising a U-shaped spring clip portion, an indented cord stop between the ends of said clip portion, said cord stop dividing said clip portion into a rear clip portion and a front clip portion, a cord guide on said front clip portion, a latch stop on said rear clip portion', pivot arms extending rearwardly from said rear clip portion, a pivot pin passing through'said pivot arms and said slat, said latch stop, cord guide and pivot pin being positioned relatively to said routing slot so as to maintain said cord guide in guiding position to guide said. routing cord into said routing s lot when said latch clip is open.

4. In combination, a removable Venetian blind slat having a front edge and a rear edge, a routing slot extending inwardly vfrom one of said edges, a routing cord and a pivoted latch clip,

said latch clip comprising a U-shaped springV clip portion, an'indented cord stop between the ends of said clip portion, said cord stopdividing said clip portion into a rear clip portion and a front clip portion, a cord guide on said front clip portion, a latch stop on said rear clip portion,

pivot arms extending rearwardly from said rear clip portion, pivot means connecting said arms to said sl'at, said cord guide, cord stop, latch stop, front clip portion, pivot arms and pivot means being relatively positioned with respect to each other and to said routing slot sol as to position said cord guide in guiding position when said .latch clip is open and to direct the force derived from the pressure of said cord against sai'd'cord stop mainly in a straight line pull on -vsaid pivot means when said latch clip is in slot closing lposition.

5. In combination, a removable Venetian blind slat having a front edge and a `rear edge, a routing slot extending inwardly from one of said edges, a routing cord and a pivoted latch clip, said latch clip comprising a U-shaped spring clip portion,l an indented cord stop between the ends of said clip portion, said cord stop dividing said clip portion intoa rear clip portion and a frontl clip portion, a cord guide on said front clip portion, a latch stop on said rear clip portion, pivot arms extending rearwardly from said rear clip portion, pivot means connecting said arms to said slat, said cord guide, cord stop, latch stop, front clip portion, pivot arms and pivot means being relatively positioned with respect to each other and to said routing slot so as to position said cord guide in guiding position when said latch clip is open and so that said cord will be retained between one side of said routing slot and the indented side of said cord stop upon movement of the cord forcing said latch toward the openl position.

6. In combination, a removable Venetian blind l slat having a front edge and a rear edge, a routing slot extending inwardly from one of said edges, a routing cord and a pivoted latch clip, said latch clip comprising a yU -shaped spring clip portion, an indented cord stop between the ends of said clip portion, said cord stop dividing said clip portion into a rear clip portion and a front clip portion, pivot arms extending rearwardly from said rear clip portion, pivot means connecting said arms to said slat, said cord stop, front clip portion, pivot arms land pivot means being,

so positioned with respect to each other and to said routing slot as to direct the force derived from the pressure of said cord against said cord stop mainly in a, straight line pull on said pivot means when said latch clip is in slot closing position, and so that said cord will be retained between one side of said routing slot and the indented side of said cord stop upon movement of 

